ALIGNMENT With God (and from my hip pain), Malachi 1-4

My hip and back physical therapy has been instructional, corrective, and strengthening. I need them all. If I don’t work them and strengthen, I go downhill.

ALIGNMENT!

I surely have less pain, more mobility when my hip is in ALIGNMENT, and the now old tear can heal. This is after I only slightly injured my hamstring, 3 months ago now, in a UNIQUE way of catching myself from falling. So, when I am OUT OF ALIGNMENT, from an anterior rotation of the hip with muscles and ligament damage that don’t keep it in check, then there is PAIN. Yes, out of ALIGNMENT, is what I can slip slowly into, during the week by normal life wear and tear, or enter out of ALIGNMENT quickly by mistakes, like falling. I can tell by the uncomfortable nature of sitting and walking. It’s not bad pain, but nips you, in the butt, if not “nipped in the bud”, prevented by ALIGNMENT!

FITTINGLY, my last book to read and write about of the Old Testament section of the Bible, a many years process to walk with the Lord, is Malachi, the scripture is all about ALIGNMENT with God.

Malachi reminds, like all the Bible does, to pray and listen, trust God, and actively live Godly lives.

We are to make a sacrifice of praise now, like a favorite Paul Balouche worship song, we are to also make a sacrifice of the “me me me” attitude.

We do not make a sacrifice of unblemished lambs but now we make PRAISE for the Sacrificed Unblemished Lamb of Jesus, ransomed for you and me, for our sins, for grace and mercy to be back in God’s Forever.

AND The Book of Malachi has much to teach about ALIGNMENT, and especially LOVE. For God’s Love is His motivation and means.

We are to LOVE the ALIGNMENT! And we are to love God and love one another as KEEPING IN ALIGNMENT WITH GOD, WHO IS LOVE.

And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers…

Yes, and when OUT OF ALIGNMENT, things go bad… That is us in REAL LIFE WEAR AND TEAR, or by our quick mistakes that result from our lack of focus and exercise efforts… and that’s reminiscent of the wandering and wondering of peoples (Israelites and Judah-ites old and new testaments) and those in corruption as detailed in Malachi.

Really, we are human, all of us go off the rail or fall asleep in our faith at times. When I am feeling better in my hip, I slack off on my exercises, it is natural for us. I (we) get complacent. Same is often true with paying attention to God. We get lacking in our focus, we run ahead or slow down too much, and we stop the most crucial aspect of faith (and physical therapy): it is in the STRENGTHENING!!!

We are to stay calm, collected, and in ALIGNMENT with God.

We are to remember to keep the faith, be strong from the Lord in especially our weaknesses. We are to keep in ALIGNMENT, and especially “when the going gets tough”, not lose focus. The beginning of wisdom is to get wisdom and have the awesome fearful awareness of God being ALMIGHTY.

The Refiner’s fire purifies and the result is a stronger purer faith…

But to you who fear My name, the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings…

One last message I got from reading though the whole old testament and new testament, is that we know how this story ends, in a new beginning, in glory. Therefore I (we) in tough times, in the heat of the frying pan of life, have no right to fly off the handle. Yes, act, but not without consulting God.

God wins, Jesus has already overcome.

Amen

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Malachi 1-4 NKJV

Polluted Offerings to God

The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi.

Israel Beloved of God

“I have loved you,” says the Lord. “Yet you say, ‘In what way have You loved us?’ Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” Says the Lord. “Yet Jacob I have loved; But Esau I have hated, And laid waste his mountains and his heritage For the jackals of the wilderness.”

Even though Edom has said, “We have been impoverished, But we will return and build the desolate places,” Thus says the Lord of hosts: “They may build, but I will throw down; They shall be called the Territory of Wickedness, and the people against whom the Lord will have indignation forever. Your eyes shall see, And you shall say, ‘The Lord is magnified beyond the border of Israel.’

Polluted Offerings

“A son honors his father, And a servant his master. If then I am the Father, Where is My honor? And if I am a Master, Where is My reverence? Says the Lord of hosts to you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, ‘In what way have we despised Your name?’

“You offer defiled food on My altar,.but say, ‘In what way have we defiled You?’ By saying, ‘The table of the Lord is contemptible.’ And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, Is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, Is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably?” Says the Lord of hosts.

“But now entreat God’s favor, that He may be gracious to us. While this is being done by your hands, Will He accept you favorably?” says the Lord of hosts. “Who is there even among you who would shut the doors, So that you would not kindle fire on My altar in vain? I have no pleasure in you,” says the Lord of hosts, “Nor will I accept an offering from your hands. For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name shall be great among the Gentiles; In every place incense shall be offered to My name, And a pure offering; For My name shall be great among the nations,” says the Lord of hosts.

“But you profane it, In that you say, ‘The table of the Lord is defiled; And its fruit, its food, is contemptible.’ You also say, ‘Oh, what a weariness!’ And you sneer at it,” Says the Lord of hosts. “And you bring the stolen, the lame, and the sick; Thus you bring an offering! Should I accept this from your hand?” Says the Lord. “But cursed be the deceiver Who has in his flock a male, and takes a vow, But sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished – For I am a great King,” says the Lord of hosts, “And My name is to be feared among the nations.

Corrupt Priests

“And now, O priests, this commandment is for you. If you will not hear, And if you will not take it to heart, To give glory to My name,” says the Lord of hosts, “I will send a curse upon you, And I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have cursed them already, Because you do not take it to heart.

“Behold, I will rebuke your descendants And spread refuse on your faces, The refuse of your solemn feasts; And one will take you away with it. Then you shall know that I have sent this commandment to you, That My covenant with Levi may continue,” says the Lord of hosts. “My covenant was with him, one of life and peace, and I gave them to him that he might fear Me; So he feared Me and was reverent before My name. The law of truth was in his mouth, And injustice was not found on his lips. He walked with Me in peace and equity, And turned many away from iniquity.

“For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, and people should seek the law from his mouth; For he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. But you have departed from the way; You have caused many to stumble at the law. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi,” says the Lord of hosts. “Therefore I also have made you contemptible and base Before all the people, Because you have not kept My ways But have shown partiality in the law.”

Treachery of Infidelity

Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously with one another By profaning the covenant of the fathers? Judah has dealt treacherously, And an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem, For Judah has profaned The Lord’s holy institution which He loves: He has married the daughter of a foreign god. May the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob The man who does this, being awake and aware, Yet who brings an offering to the Lord of hosts!

And this is the second thing you do: You cover the altar of the Lord with tears, With weeping and crying; So He does not regard the offering anymore, Nor receive it with goodwill from your hands. Yet you say, “For what reason?” Because the Lord has been witness Between you and the wife of your youth, With whom you have dealt treacherously; Yet she is your companion And your wife by covenant. But did He not make them one, Having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth. “For the Lord God of Israel says That He hates divorce, For it covers one’s garment with violence,” Says the Lord of hosts. “Therefore take heed to your spirit, That you do not deal treacherously.”

You have wearied the Lord with your words; Yet you say, “In what way have we wearied Him?” In that you say, “Everyone who does evil Is good in the sight of the Lord, And He delights in them,” Or, “Where is the God of justice?”

The Coming Messenger

“Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,” Says the Lord of hosts.

“But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire And like launderers’ soap. He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the Lord An offering in righteousness.

“Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasant to the Lord, As in the days of old, As in former years. And I will come near you for judgment; I will be a swift witness Against sorcerers, Against adulterers, Against perjurers, Against those who exploit wage earners and widows and orphans, And against those who turn away an alien – Because they do not fear Me,” Says the Lord of hosts.

“For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob. Yet from the days of your fathers You have gone away from My ordinances And have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” Says the Lord of hosts. “But you said, ‘In what way shall we return?’

Do Not Rob God

“Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.

“And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” Says the Lord of hosts; “And all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land,” says the Lord of hosts.

The People Complain Harshly

“Your words have been harsh against Me,” Says the Lord, “Yet you say, ‘What have we spoken against You?’ You have said, ‘It is useless to serve God; What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, And that we have walked as mourners Before the Lord of hosts? So now we call the proud blessed, For those who do wickedness are raised up; They even tempt God and go free.’ ”

A Book of Remembrance

Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, And the Lord listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the Lord and who meditate on His name. “They shall be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts, “On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them As a man spares his own son who serves him.” Then you shall again discern Between the righteous and the wicked, Between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.

The Great Day of God

“For behold, the day is coming, Burning like an oven, And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up,” says the Lord of hosts, “That will leave them neither root nor branch. But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves. You shall trample the wicked, For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet On the day that I do this,” says the Lord of hosts.

“Remember the Law of Moses, My servant, Which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, With the statutes and judgments. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”

The Day of the Lord, FINALLY, Zechariah 14

I am SO excited, I’m reading in the last of the old testament. Zechariah’s prophesy surely is awesome. I can see tomorrow too, I’ll read Malachi then, then with gospels begin again. And that’s the end or beginning, or BOTH.

Is it fitting for joy seeing the end, or satisfaction that I accomplished a challenge to myself that I started years ago now? With Genesis 1? It’s more of a satisfaction of soul, that I’ve invested and ingested the Living Water of the Word into myself from the eyes to the brain so that I can meet it with the Word Living inside me, Jesus, on the flow from the soul to the heart. Now these flows come together. Light in the darkness, Foundness in the Lostness, Healing in the Brokenness, Hope in the Battle. KNOWN IN THE UNKNOWN.

And I’ve learned not just of the past but of the future, that Jesus WILL come again, and there will forever be Light. “Thus the Lord my God will come, And all the saints with You. It shall come to pass in that day That there will be no light; the lights will diminish. It shall be one day which is known to the Lord – neither day nor night. But at evening time it shall happen That it will be light.”

So, it is not just Jerusalem and the Holy City affected, it’s all of us. If we can hold on, not just to the reading of the chapters to the end, but hold on till the end of night, the end of worry, the end of war, the end of all things that corrupt into worthlessness. If we can HOLD ON, we WILL see the GOODNESS of the Lord in person, Face to Face.

AMEN, thanks Zechariah for holding on and sharing the knowledge of the Lord returning.

Amen

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Zechariah 14 NKJV

The Day of the Lord

Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, And your spoil will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; the city shall be taken, The houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

Then the Lord will go forth

And fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, Making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north And half of it toward the south.

Then you shall flee through My mountain valley, For the mountain valley shall reach to Azal. Yes, you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake In the days of Uzziah king of Judah.

Thus the Lord my God will come, And all the saints with You.

It shall come to pass in that day That there will be no light; the lights will diminish. It shall be one day which is known to the Lord – neither day nor night. But at evening time it shall happen That it will be light.

And in that day it shall be That living waters shall flow from Jerusalem, Half of them toward the eastern sea And half of them toward the western sea; In both summer and winter it shall occur. And the Lord shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be – “The Lord is one,” And His name one.

All the land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be raised up and inhabited in her place from Benjamin’s Gate to the place of the First Gate and the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s winepresses. The people shall dwell in it; And no longer shall there be utter destruction, but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.

And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet, Their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, And their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths.

It shall come to pass in that day That a great panic from the Lord will be among them. Everyone will seize the hand of his neighbor, And raise his hand against his neighbor’s hand; Judah also will fight at Jerusalem. And the wealth of all the surrounding nations Shall be gathered together: Gold, silver, and apparel in great abundance.

Such also shall be the plague On the horse and the mule, On the camel and the donkey, And on all the cattle that will be in those camps. So shall this plague be.

The Nations Worship the King

And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain. If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the Lord strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.

In that day “HOLINESS TO THE LORD” shall be engraved on the bells of the horses. The pots in the Lord’s house shall be like the bowls before the altar. Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holiness to the Lord of hosts. Everyone who sacrifices shall come and take them and cook in them. In that day there shall no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts.

God says ‘This is My People’, Zechariah 11-13

Oh, it’s the amazing prophesy of Zechariah to speak of Jesus, yes, hundreds of years before He came to earth. There are stories presented in prophet Zechariah to understand that Jesus our Savior works to champion the underdog, the downtrodden, the slave, and all sheep with need of a shepherd. Jesus understood and understands where there is oppression, He can be the guiding LIGHT, for this world is fraught with pitfalls. We are delivered by Him to the hope away from these hassles.

When this last half of Zechariah’s chapters of scripture speaks of people using people wrongly, Jesus rails against that. When this scripture speaks of bad shepherds, bad kings, people who are using people, Jesus rails against all of that. And this Zechariah scripture set truly speaks of the blindness of generations who don’t recognize the need to take care of others over themselves, let alone follow Jesus’s example.

And HOW will God be recognized? Yes, by those studying the prophesies and ALSO by the sheep themselves following Jesus, with an ability to recognize the old Covanent is broken (the people won’t humble themselves), but the new Covanent comes (Jesus who allows Himself to be ransomed, killed, and raised for the forgiveness of sins, the rescue of those who look to Him).

It’s not hard to see the prophesy parts now, in the reading of chapters 11-13, now that many have been fulfilled, all from the rejection, the 30 pieces of silver, to the piercing of the Lord. And now, a true faith practice will be for us to BELIEVE in the future prophesy of Jesus coming again, and to keep the faith that the Lord has all under control.

Keep looking for Jesus and serve others by explaining the hope. Our new Jerusalem Kingdom, for us to live forever with him, will be God’s best delivery yet.

Amen

They will call on My name, And I will answer them. I will say, ‘This is My people’; And each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’

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Zechariah, which is “a wild ride” of Scripture, as called by the Bible Project video, details this Messiah and messianic kingdom in chapters 11-on

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Zechariah 11:4-13 NKJV

Prophecy of the Shepherds

Thus says the Lord my God, “Feed the flock for slaughter, whose owners slaughter them and feel no guilt; those who sell them say, ‘Blessed be the Lord, for I am rich’; and their shepherds do not pity them. For I will no longer pity the inhabitants of the land,” says the Lord. “But indeed I will give everyone into his neighbor’s hand and into the hand of his king. They shall attack the land, and I will not deliver them from their hand.”

So I fed the flock for slaughter, in particular the poor of the flock. I took for myself two staffs: the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bonds; and I fed the flock. I dismissed the three shepherds in one month. My soul loathed them, and their soul also abhorred me. Then I said, “I will not feed you. Let what is dying die, and what is perishing perish. Let those that are left eat each other’s flesh.” And I took my staff, Beauty, and cut it in two, that I might break the covenant which I had made with all the peoples. So it was broken on that day. Thus the poor of the flock, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the Lord. Then I said to them, “If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain.” So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver.

And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter” – that princely price they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord for the potter. Then I cut in two my other staff, Bonds, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

And the Lord said to me, “Next, take for yourself the implements of a foolish shepherd. For indeed I will raise up a shepherd in the land who will not care for those who are cut off, nor seek the young, nor heal those that are broken, nor feed those that still stand. But he will eat the flesh of the fat and tear their hooves in pieces.

“Woe to the worthless shepherd, Who leaves the flock! A sword shall be against his arm And against his right eye; His arm shall completely wither, And his right eye shall be totally blinded.”

The Coming Deliverance of Judah

The burden of the word of the Lord against Israel. Thus says the Lord, who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him: “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it. In that day,” says the Lord, “I will strike every horse with confusion, and its rider with madness; I will open My eyes on the house of Judah, and will strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, ‘The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength in the Lord of hosts, their God.’ In that day I will make the governors of Judah like a firepan in the woodpile, and like a fiery torch in the sheaves; they shall devour all the surrounding peoples on the right hand and on the left, but Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place—Jerusalem.

“The Lord will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall not become greater than that of Judah. In that day the Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the one who is feeble among them in that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the Angel of the Lord before them. It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

Mourning for the Pierced One

“And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning at Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. And the land shall mourn, every family by itself: the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of Shimei by itself, and their wives by themselves; all the families that remain, every family by itself, and their wives by themselves.

Idolatry Cut Off

“In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness.

“It shall be in that day,” says the Lord of hosts, “that I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they shall no longer be remembered. I will also cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to depart from the land. It shall come to pass that if anyone still prophesies, then his father and mother who begot him will say to him, ‘You shall not live, because you have spoken lies in the name of the Lord.’ And his father and mother who begot him shall thrust him through when he prophesies.

“And it shall be in that day that every prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies; they will not wear a robe of coarse hair to deceive. But he will say, ‘I am no prophet, I am a farmer; for a man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.’ And one will say to him, ‘What are these wounds between your arms?’ Then he will answer, ‘Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.’

The Shepherd Savior

“Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, Against the Man who is My Companion,” Says the Lord of hosts. “Strike the Shepherd, And the sheep will be scattered; Then I will turn My hand against the little ones. And it shall come to pass in all the land,” Says the Lord, “That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, But one-third shall be left in it: I will bring the one-third through the fire, Will refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them. I will say, ‘This is My people’; And each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’ ”

A Savior Saving Reflection in Zechariah 9-11

For the Lord Almighty will care for His flock.

It’s not lost on me that at this end of the week is Feb 1st, my 10 year anniversary of KNOWING I had awakened to know, accept, and never turn back from believing in Jesus as the Son of God, as my Lord and Savior, 100%. 10 years, ah just starting this journey, but wow how the Lord has sustained me!

This life with Jesus for each of us is both the pinnacle and just the beginning. The continued part of walking with Jesus is the TRUST, the calling Him LORD, and then the FOLLOWING. Yes, we are SAVED, and now we SAVOR that hope and understanding. May we also STRENGTHEN to allow God to cultivate the fruits of the Spirit given to us.

What a gift to catch up of Jesus’s Story! Ah, 9-11, those numbers speak of rescue and help, the code for emergency calls, and emergency rescues. The September 2001 9-11 to connect to my awakening, is with the 9-11 garden locally, as it was there, in reflection, standing touching the steel beam monument memorial, at the middle end of an all encompassing day, that only God knew and planned for me to be with Him. It was in that moment both a respite of reflection and a moment of me lost then found. AND I knew it!!! I knew my mental shift made a difference FOREVER for Forever, and all the difference now. The thought of God’s reach to reach out to each of us, and I awoke bundled and bouncing in our Fisherman’s Net. Saved.

So “9-11” to show up in numbers this week is meaningful to me for reflection upon the connectiveness of God’s journey to ours to mine. Nine through eleven, 9-11, is like the next chapters in Zechariah of my journey reading and writing thru the whole bible. It’s been a long journey, so worth it. It’s a garden of life we live in. He gives showers of rain to all people, and plants of the field to everyone.

In Zechariah, the people are returning from exile. Aren’t we too? We are, returning to worship of the Lord forever by the shepherding of the Lord.

I think specifically that reading the Old Testament is like watching Jesus’s Home Movies, Him saying: “See my birth gets mentioned there!”, “See how Our Father had mercy there?”, “See how we warned people there, saved people there, set the stage for the prophets?”, and “From prophesy then we stuck the landing as if the world was really twirling like a figure skater, but we had it all under control. ” … hypothetical speaking of course…

Jesus’s Home Movies fly off the page in 9-11 Zechariah, as he tells how these wandering Israelites and Judah-ites fit into the future – and how He kept the remnant going:

“Those who are left will belong to our God and become a clan in Judah…”

“From Judah will come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler.”

“See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

Yes! What do we do know, knowing both the Lord and SOME of His backstory? TO LIVE in appreciation of the journey. Accept God’s grace and mercy as marching orders for each day, and take in His strengthening for the journey ahead.

“I will strengthen them in the Lord and in his name they will live securely,” declares the Lord.

Amen

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Zechariah 9-11:4

Judgment on Israel’s Enemies

A prophecy:

The word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrak and will come to rest on Damascus – for the eyes of all people and all the tribes of Israel are on the Lord – and on Hamath too, which borders on it, and on Tyre and Sidon, though they are very skillful. Tyre has built herself a stronghold; she has heaped up silver like dust, and gold like the dirt of the streets. But the Lord will take away her possessions and destroy her power on the sea, and she will be consumed by fire. Ashkelon will see it and fear; Gaza will writhe in agony, and Ekron too, for her hope will wither. Gaza will lose her king and Ashkelon will be deserted. A mongrel people will occupy Ashdod, and I will put an end to the pride of the Philistines. I will take the blood from their mouths, the forbidden food from between their teeth. Those who are left will belong to our God and become a clan in Judah, and Ekron will be like the Jebusites. But I will encamp at my temple to guard it against marauding forces. Never again will an oppressor overrun my people, for now I am keeping watch.

The Coming of Zion’s King

Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the warhorses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. As for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit. Return to your fortress, you prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you. I will bend Judah as I bend my bow and fill it with Ephraim. I will rouse your sons, Zion, against your sons, Greece, and make you like a warrior’s sword.

The Lord Will Appear

Then the Lord will appear over them; his arrow will flash like lightning. The Sovereign Lord will sound the trumpet; he will march in the storms of the south, and the Lord Almighty will shield them. They will destroy and overcome with slingstones. They will drink and roar as with wine; they will be full like a bowl used for sprinkling the corners of the altar. The Lord their God will save his people on that day as a shepherd saves his flock. They will sparkle in his land like jewels in a crown. How attractive and beautiful they will be! Grain will make the young men thrive, and new wine the young women.

The Lord Will Care for Judah

Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime; it is the Lord who sends the thunderstorms. He gives showers of rain to all people, and plants of the field to everyone. The idols speak deceitfully, diviners see visions that lie; they tell dreams that are false, they give comfort in vain. Therefore the people wander like sheep oppressed for lack of a shepherd.

“My anger burns against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders; for the Lord Almighty will care for his flock, the people of Judah, and make them like a proud horse in battle. From Judah will come the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler. Together they will be like warriors in battle trampling their enemy into the mud of the streets. They will fight because the Lord is with them, and they will put the enemy horsemen to shame.

“I will strengthen Judah and save the tribes of Joseph. I will restore them because I have compassion on them. They will be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the Lord their God and I will answer them. The Ephraimites will become like warriors, and their hearts will be glad as with wine. Their children will see it and be joyful; their hearts will rejoice in the Lord. I will signal for them and gather them in. Surely I will redeem them; they will be as numerous as before.Though I scatter them among the peoples, yet in distant lands they will remember me. They and their children will survive, and they will return. I will bring them back from Egypt and gather them from Assyria. I will bring them to Gilead and Lebanon, and there will not be room enough for them. They will pass through the sea of trouble; the surging sea will be subdued and all the depths of the Nile will dry up. Assyria’s pride will be brought down and Egypt’s scepter will pass away. I will strengthen them in the Lord and in his name they will live securely,” declares the Lord.

Open your doors, Lebanon, so that fire may devour your cedars! Wail, you juniper, for the cedar has fallen; the stately trees are ruined! Wail, oaks of Bashan; the dense forest has been cut down! Listen to the wail of the shepherds; their rich pastures are destroyed! Listen to the roar of the lions; the lush thicket of the Jordan is ruined!

DO NOT FEAR, ZECHARIAH 8

“We will cross that bridge when we come to it.” – that should be the ever-repeating statement of our lives. To plan some is good, but mostly prepare for something rather than worry about it, like travel and projects and especially illnesses and family situations. And rather than worry now, let tomorrow worry about itself and do the actual activities of the day in the day they occur. Live in the presence and present as God is with us and cross the bridges WITH Jesus in lead, step by step.

“DO NOT FEAR” – the best three words – from the Lord to His people. TO US.

This means take each day as it comes, deal with it, be fair in it, be worshipping Gid for how He has supported us this far! And will in the future.

That even means, the future new city we will dwell in, the newest of life WITH God, as is laid out BY God. And in our worship, we will see the opportunity to build the next opportunities to share, just as the builders in Zechariah’s time rebuilt worship in the temple of Jerusalem.

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Behold, I will save My people from the land of the east And from the land of the west; I will bring them back, And they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. They shall be My people And I will be their God, In truth and righteousness.’

The amazing walk with Jesus now won’t just stop, we can continue walking and working.

So I will save you, and you shall be a blessing. Do not fear, Let your hands be strong.’

May we appreciate and approach the day and our project and plans with joy that the Lord has our best interests in His Plan… one step at a time.

Amen

—

Zechariah 8 NKJV

Jerusalem, Holy City of the Future

Again the word of the Lord of hosts came, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘I am zealous for Zion with great zeal; With great fervor I am zealous for her.’

“Thus says the Lord: ‘I will return to Zion, And dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth, The Mountain of the Lord of hosts, The Holy Mountain.’

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Old men and old women shall again sit In the streets of Jerusalem, Each one with his staff in his hand Because of great age. The streets of the city Shall be full of boys and girls Playing in its streets.’

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘If it is marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, Will it also be marvelous in My eyes?’ Says the Lord of hosts.

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Let your hands be strong, You who have been hearing in these days These words by the mouth of the prophets, Who spoke in the day the foundation was laid For the house of the Lord of hosts, That the temple might be built. For before these days There were no wages for man nor any hire for beast; There was no peace from the enemy for whoever went out or came in; For I set all men, everyone, against his neighbor.

But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘For the seed shall be prosperous, The vine shall give its fruit, The ground shall give her increase, And the heavens shall give their dew – I will cause the remnant of this people To possess all these. And it shall come to pass That just as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, So I will save you, and you shall be a blessing. Do not fear, Let your hands be strong.’

“For thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Just as I determined to punish you When your fathers provoked Me to wrath,’ Says the Lord of hosts, ‘And I would not relent, So again in these days I am determined to do good To Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.

Do not fear.

These are the things you shall do: Speak each man the truth to his neighbor; Give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace; Let none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor; And do not love a false oath. For all these are things that I hate,’ Says the Lord.”

Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘The fast of the fourth month, The fast of the fifth, The fast of the seventh, And the fast of the tenth, Shall be joy and gladness and cheerful feasts For the house of Judah. Therefore love truth and peace.’

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Peoples shall yet come, Inhabitants of many cities; The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, “Let us continue to go and pray before the Lord, And seek the Lord of hosts. I myself will go also.” Yes, many peoples and strong nations Shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, And to pray before the Lord.’

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.” ’ “

Best New Year’s Resolution is Restoration, Zechariah 7

So did you notice yesterday 1/25 was one month since Christmas?

Yeah Christmas, ancient history mentally now, so strange how we focus forward forgetting. Yes Christmas, so last year and feels like eons ago, yet simultaneously feels so recent, like was ONLY one month ago, like I still have candy leftovers etc. Yeah…

New Year’s was only 3 weeks ago. How about New Year’s and those resolutions? Still keeping faithful to them? Or mmmm…. game FOOD football season is upon us, how are we on health resolutions?

Maybe the best not resolution but restoration is to listen to God better, walk more closely. The people of Zechariah’s time perhaps wanted to act more devoted, but actually got trapped in rituals including fasting. God spoke to Zechariah and told them instead to tap into and feel more strengthened by God to REALLY be devoted.

The translations vary, but this statement question by God is truly pleading: “during those seventy years, did you really fast for Me – for Me? When you eat and when you drink, do you not eat and drink for yourselves?”

Yes, God wants obedience over fasting or ritual worship. God wants to walk with us, us with Him, not fit into our plans but us into His. The exiled Israelites and Judah-ites of Babylon Captivity had not kept their eyes on the Lord.

Thus says the Lord of hosts:

‘Execute true justice, show mercy and compassion everyone to his brother. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. Let none of you plan evil in his heart against his brother.’

May we try to simply let Him take the lead. Where He goes, let us follow. And may we simply be His.

That is both a resolution and a restoration.

Amen

—

Zechariah 7 NKJV

Obedience Better than Fasting

Now in the fourth year of King Darius it came to pass that the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, on the fourth day of the ninth month, Chislev, when the people sent Sherezer, with Regem-Melech and his men, to the house of God, to pray before the Lord, and to ask the priests who were in the house of the Lord of hosts, and the prophets, saying, “Should I weep in the fifth month and fast as I have done for so many years?”

Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, “Say to all the people of the land, and to the priests: ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months during those seventy years, did you really fast for Me – for Me? When you eat and when you drink, do you not eat and drink for yourselves? Should you not have obeyed the words which the Lord proclaimed through the former prophets when Jerusalem and the cities around it were inhabited and prosperous, and the South and the Lowland were inhabited?’ ”

Disobedience Resulted in Captivity

Then the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts:

‘Execute true justice,

Show mercy and compassion

Everyone to his brother.

Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless,

The alien or the poor.

Let none of you plan evil in his heart

Against his brother.’

“But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear. Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Thus great wrath came from the Lord of hosts. Therefore it happened, that just as He proclaimed and they would not hear, so they called out and I would not listen,” says the Lord of hosts. “But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations which they had not known. Thus the land became desolate after them, so that no one passed through or returned; for they made the pleasant land desolate.”

To Love is to Know God

“To Love Another Person is to See the Face of God” – that’s not scripture but story magical song lyrics and Victor Hugo’s text from intense book “Les Miserables”. To love another person – a beautiful sentiment – and the scripture really is “Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. “

It’s a beautiful thought, seeing the face of God – feeling God – knowing God. LOVE is God’s gift to us and intended to flow from us too, especially back to Him. Love in many forms is earthly and yet love in the agape love of God – from God by God with God – is Hopeful love and a Healing Love. To love like God is to see mercy and forgiveness as gifts for loving more complete and compellingly, completely removing complexity and complications as barriers to love.

The forgiveness portions of “Les Miserables” are in individual relationships and not a corporate-wide or certainly not country-wide swashes of love. The movie is set I’m the French Revolution. The stories of men in their graves is throughout this story reality, from prisoners to protesters. The stories of Hope and affection are personal and important, especially as driving their actions.

Again “Les Miserables” is movie life, and beautiful singing, with a finale of people walking mercifully into Heaven. And I recommend the many online-available renditions, especially singing in the car. Godly loving is shown as God-given… there’s many mercifully shown stepping out of their graves. That’s the REAL gift of God in mercy and grace, by Jesus’s salvation.

“To Love Another Person is to See the Face of God” as a storyline, and matching this potential earthly thought we have: to Love another person is to Feel the Heart of God ache” – because we are all broken people… and yet, without love we would feel nothing. And therefore may we know that to RECOGNIZE Jesus’s grace-covering in God’s Salvation is to SEE with God’s heart. May we reach for that grace place.

So here are the Love scriptures to really take to heart, from 1st John, the disciple whom Jesus loved:

1 John 4:7-14

God’s Love and Ours

Dear friends,

* Let us love one another, for love comes from God.

* Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

* Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

* This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.

*This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

* Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

* This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.

Amen

Amen, God is Love

Here’s the beautiful music:

And https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kxIhDjZEVnBP11d88_AmhVKFffmApT5pQ&si=uW6o_rc_RW5NRHvS

And https://youtu.be/fLoectapepk?si=UXvwWw48CfJ7wH0f

‘God Bless It! God Bless It!’, Zechariah 4 and More

‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’

By God’s spirit I was fine, and my envisionment of treating myself later with ice cream helped, that’s how I got through the MRI chamber entrapment. Oh, tough, but doable. Nice breeze, nice time to rest, best view of lights above looking like sky with tree blossoms. But no music, sad, that might have helped, like in my previous MRI 7 years ago. So 20 minutes STUCK in the tube challenged me twice – pelvic hip scan then lumbar scan – for the pesky hamstring pull. It’s good to have good quality medical care and my socks said it all: “Without the Lab, Your Only Guessing.” Yes, we/I need real data for my health.

And then, oh no, the fear of coughing, YIKES. You know when you try to stifle a cough and you try to focus on NOT coughing and you can’t help it. TOUGH. I only interrupted twice, had the squishy ball pump to signal needing to pause, and the technician was forgiving.

I got through it... Yeah… Now, if I had had these visions of Zechariah, I probably would have been quite distracted and puzzling in my 20 minute moments, and then some, WOW… Zerubbabel of Judah rebuilt the temple of Jerusalem in the 500’s BC and is listed in the genealogy of Jesus, and (according to a quick google search and AI algorithms) scholars and non-scholars alike realize that any building up of Jerusalem, Judah-ites and Israelites, allows for Jesus physically and spiritually to come as Messiah, then and again. The prophecy detailed here goes with a plea that Jesus won’t come until the appointments time – depending upon the dedication of these exiled Judah-ites and Israelites back to God. WOW!

It’s OK if these are puzzling images, that’s why God sent angels to explain to Zechariah, about Joshua and Zerubbabel (examples of listening to God and of Jesus, coming and recoming, of building and rebuilding). We can’t understand everything by ourselves – we can’t move mountains without God – NOT BY MIGHT NOR BY POWER, BUT BY MY SPIRIT.

But God Bless It. God Bless It, we can understand Jesus is Lord!

Amen

—

The Bible Project video helps here:

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Zechariah 4-6 NKJV

Vision of the Lampstand and Olive Trees

Now the angel who talked with me came back and wakened me, as a man who is wakened out of his sleep. And he said to me, “What do you see?”

So I said, “I am looking, and there is a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps. Two olive trees are by it, one at the right of the bowl and the other at its left.” So I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, “What are these, my lord?”

Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.”

So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘NOTBY MIGHT NOR BY POWER, BUT BY MY SPIRIT,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone With shouts of “Grace, grace to it!” ’ ” [also translated: “God Bless It! God Bless It!”]

Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying: “The hands of Zerubbabel Have laid the foundation of this temple; His hands shall also finish it. Then you will know That the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. For who has despised the day of small things? For these seven rejoice to see The plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the Lord, Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.”

Then I answered and said to him, “What are these two olive trees—at the right of the lampstand and at its left?” And I further answered and said to him, “What are these two olive branches that drip into the receptacles of the two gold pipes from which the golden oil drains?”

Then he answered me and said, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.”

So he said, “These are the two anointed ones, who stand beside the Lord of the whole earth.”

The Flying Scroll

I looked again, and there before me was a flying scroll. He asked me, “What do you see?”

I answered, “I see a flying scroll, twenty cubits long and ten cubits wide.”

And he said to me, “This is the curse that is going out over the whole land; for according to what it says on one side, every thief will be banished, and according to what it says on the other, everyone who swears falsely will be banished. The Lord Almighty declares, ‘I will send it out, and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of anyone who swears falsely by my name. It will remain in that house and destroy it completely, both its timbers and its stones.’”

The Woman in a Basket

Then the angel who was speaking to me came forward and said to me, “Look up and see what is appearing.”

I asked, “What is it?” He replied, “It is a basket.” And he added, “This is the iniquity of the people throughout the land.”

Then the cover of lead was raised, and there in the basket sat a woman! He said, “This is wickedness,” and he pushed her back into the basket and pushed its lead cover down on it.

Then I looked up—and there before me were two women, with the wind in their wings! They had wings like those of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between heaven and earth.

“Where are they taking the basket?” I asked the angel who was speaking to me. He replied, “To the country of Babylonia to build a house for it. When the house is ready, the basket will be set there in its place.”

Four Chariots

I looked up again, and there before me were four chariots coming out from between two mountains—mountains of bronze. The first chariot had red horses, the second black, the third white, and the fourth dappled—all of them powerful. I asked the angel who was speaking to me, “What are these, my lord?”

The angel answered me, “These are the four spirits of heaven, going out from standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole world. The one with the black horses is going toward the north country, the one with the white horses toward the west, and the one with the dappled horses toward the south.”

When the powerful horses went out, they were straining to go throughout the earth. And he said, “Go throughout the earth!” So they went throughout the earth.

Then he called to me, “Look, those going toward the north country have given my Spirit rest in the land of the north.”

A Crown for Joshua

The word of the Lord came to me: “Take silver and gold from the exiles Heldai, Tobijah and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon. Go the same day to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah. Take the silver and gold and make a crown, and set it on the head of the high priest, Joshua son of Jozadak. Tell him this is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Here is the man whose name is the Branch, and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the Lord. It is he who will build the temple of the Lord, and he will be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he will be a priest on his throne. And there will be harmony between the two.’ The crown will be given to Heldai, Tobijah, Jedaiah and Hen son of Zephaniah as a memorial in the temple of the Lord. Those who are far away will come and help to build the temple of the Lord, and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you. This will happen if you diligently obey the Lord your God.”

Snatched from the Fire, Zechariah 3

Now, this is a great chapter. A great vision by prophet Zechariah of high priest Joshua, who is said to be wearing dirty clothes, with Satan next to him, but God responds that Joshua is a burning stick snatched from the fire, awesome… I’d like God to say that of me, wouldn’t you?

Snatched from the fire.

Prophet Zechariah is motivating the return of the people who’ve been exiled in Babylon, now rebuilding Jerusalem, God’s chosen place. It’s time for the people to listen.

The vision of Zechariah of Joshua brings in great symbolism: fire-burned to saved, dirty to clean, sinful to saved, walking in obedience, the Lord’s house and court, and the best line “I will bring my servant, the Branch ” (ah yes, Jesus, Who speaks of Himself as the Vine in the new testament), and speaking of the removal of sin… ah yes salvation…

Joshua also is a name symbolizing Jesus, from Joshua with Moses, to this Joshua, the names Joshua and Jesus, from the same root, both mean “the one who saves” and “the Lord is salvation”…

When we think of ourselves, may we realize that we are snatched from the fire when we call Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We can’t get out of the fire ourselves but be snatched by God, we can’t change our dirty sins but we can be covered over by Jesus’s recovering, saved as seen clean.

And the Lord says to Satan: “NOT this one…” So grateful…

Snatched from the Fire. Covered in Glory.

Amen

—

Zechariah 3 NIV

Clean Garments for the High Priest

Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. The Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?”

Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. The angel said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.”

Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you.”

Then I said, “Put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the Lord stood by.

The angel of the Lord gave this charge to Joshua: “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘If you will walk in obedience to me and keep my requirements, then you will govern my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you a place among these standing here.

“‘Listen, High Priest Joshua, you and your associates seated before you, who are men symbolic of things to come: I am going to bring my servant, the Branch. See, the stone I have set in front of Joshua! There are seven eyes on that one stone, and I will engrave an inscription on it,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will remove the sin of this land in a single day.

“‘In that day each of you will invite your neighbor to sit under your vine and fig tree,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”

GOD WITH US, Zechariah 1-2

“‘For I,’ says the Lord, ‘will be a wall of fire all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.’ ”

“Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for He is aroused from His holy habitation!”

Red horses? Myrtle trees? Horns? Angels? What an interesting chapter!!! Zechariah, not John the Baptist’s father, but a previous Zechariah, 500 years prior… A Prophet placed with purpose.

God speaks to His Prophets through angels and directly. God, we know from previous writers, has been pleading with people, His People exiled up to Babylon, imploring them to trust Him, repent their evil ways, and come back to worship. They were told they would return to Jerusalem and now this time has come. The old testament is fill with TESTAMENTS of those who saw destruction by outside powers, yet promises and fulfilments by God, and yet the people still made delays of paying attention to God…. oh, if only the people would be listening… (even especially now)…

God said there were people used to punish and cause harshness, but they went too far, evil overtook… but this won’t last…

Prophets Prophets Prophets, this whole last section of the Bible is filled with Prophets, prophesy and predictions – with proof of God being in charge. AND the book of Zechariah speaks again of JESUS coming in the flesh to dwell among them AND how Judah and Jerusalem are hotbeds of activities with God…. they still are!!!

Let us take these readings to the current day, and realize it takes time to get through to people, yet God doesn’t quit. We now have volume after volume to understand how human humans are… Let us apply grace and mercy, yet explain that we have been directed to forgive by God Almighty… be a witness with our actions and words…

Be a LIGHT, as we DO know Jesus and how He came and will come again!

Let us keep an eye on the sky!

“The Lord will again comfort Zion, And will again choose Jerusalem.”

Amen

—

Zechariah 1-2

New King James Version

A Call to Repentance

In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying, “The Lord has been very angry with your fathers. Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Return to Me,” says the Lord of hosts, “and I will return to you,” says the Lord of hosts. “Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets preached, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Turn now from your evil ways and your evil deeds.” ’ But they did not hear nor heed Me,” says the Lord.

“Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? Yet surely My words and My statutes, Which I commanded My servants the prophets, Did they not overtake your fathers?

“So they returned and said: ‘Just as the Lord of hosts determined to do to us, According to our ways and according to our deeds, So He has dealt with us.’ ” ’ ”

Vision of the Horses

On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet: I saw by night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse, and it stood among the myrtle trees in the hollow; and behind him were horses: red, sorrel, and white. Then I said, “My lord, what are these?” So the angel who talked with me said to me, “I will show you what they are.”

And the man who stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, “These are the ones whom the Lord has sent to walk to and fro throughout the earth.” So they answered the Angel of the Lord, who stood among the myrtle trees, and said, “We have walked to and fro throughout the earth, and behold, all the earth is resting quietly.”

The Lord Will Comfort Zion

Then the Angel of the Lord answered and said, “O Lord of hosts, how long will You not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which You were angry these seventy years?”

And the Lord answered the angel who talked to me, with good and comforting words. So the angel who spoke with me said to me, “Proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts:

“I am zealous for Jerusalem And for Zion with great zeal. I am exceedingly angry with the nations at ease; For I was a little angry, And they helped—but with evil intent.”

‘Therefore thus says the Lord: “I am returning to Jerusalem with mercy; My house shall be built in it,” says the Lord of hosts, “And a surveyor’s line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem.” ’

“Again proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “My cities shall again spread out through prosperity; The Lord will again comfort Zion, And will again choose Jerusalem.” ’ ”

Vision of the Horns

Then I raised my eyes and looked, and there were four horns. And I said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these?”

So he answered me, “These are the horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”

Then the Lord showed me four craftsmen. And I said, “What are these coming to do?”

So he said, “These are the horns that scattered Judah, so that no one could lift up his head; but the craftsmen are coming to terrify them, to cast out the horns of the nations that lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it.”

Vision of the Measuring Line

Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand. So I said, “Where are you going?”

And he said to me, “To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its width and what is its length.”

And there was the angel who talked with me, going out; and another angel was coming out to meet him, who said to him, “Run, speak to this young man, saying: ‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls, because of the multitude of men and livestock in it. For I,’ says the Lord, ‘will be a wall of fire all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.’ ”

Future Joy of Zion and Many Nations

“Up, up! Flee from the land of the north,” says the Lord; “for I have spread you abroad like the four winds of heaven,” says the Lord. “Up, Zion! Escape, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon.”

For thus says the Lord of hosts: “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye. For surely I will shake My hand against them, and they shall become spoil for their servants. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me.

“Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” says the Lord. “Many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and they shall become My people. And I will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. And the Lord will take possession of Judah as His inheritance in the Holy Land, and will again choose Jerusalem. Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for He is aroused from His holy habitation!”

A Remnant Left to Rediscover, from Haggai’s Prophesy

There’s a special movie (replaying on Netflix) that I enjoy replaying and replaying segments, “Monuments Men”, 2014 with George Clooney, Bill Murray, John Goodman. This movie is about finding and restoration of art and possessions in World War II, it has amazing experiences for those portrayed. I appreciate the experiences are only 90 to 100 years ago, but we don’t hear about these things much anymore, there is much to reach and teach younger generations. There’s a remnant left to rediscover. The story is true with some movie magic thrown in. It seems war movies like this could teach so much about valuing treasures and especially people. It’s clearly, sadly, a broken world then and now…

The last part of prophet Haggai is God’s reminder to the priests of the era that God’s people are defiled by not having a temple and examples of dedication and sacrifice. The people need true repentance. The people are essentially not living in remembrance of the times the temple was built, 500 years prior by Solomon, and of how God blessed them and will bless them again when they show dedication. These people live 500 years before Jesus comes. They are the remnant that God has remembered and wants.

This is also a lesson for us to return to God, to be building our lives on the Rock, the firm foundation of Jesus, and the knowledge that He came and will come again. The dedication of the temple is of our lives to Him. The new temple also to come is for the healing of the nations. God will bring a remnant of His Promised people back, and bless them. He will bless ALL who turn to Him and repent. Of course the ultimate blessing will be extraction from the brokenness of the world into God’s Kingdom.

This short book Haggai contains a lot of good treasured knowledge about God and His Plan – with warnings about not listening, similar to the warnings given to Solomon by God at the start of the temple building 500 years prior: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” From 2nd Chronicles

May we continue to remember the repentance to God for not listening and following and trusting and ask for restoration.

Amen

The 5 minute Bible Project video on YouTube is really good at explaining this chapter in time:

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Haggai 2:10-23

Blessings for a Defiled People

On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Haggai: “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Ask the priests what the law says: If someone carries consecrated meat in the fold of their garment, and that fold touches some bread or stew, some wine, olive oil or other food, does it become consecrated?’”

The priests answered, “No.”

Then Haggai said, “If a person defiled by contact with a dead body touches one of these things, does it become defiled?”

“Yes,” the priests replied, “it becomes defiled.”

Then Haggai said, “‘So it is with this people and this nation in my sight,’ declares the Lord. ‘Whatever they do and whatever they offer there is defiled.

“‘Now give careful thought to this from this day on—consider how things were before one stone was laid on another in the Lord’s temple. When anyone came to a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten. When anyone went to a wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were only twenty. I struck all the work of your hands with blight, mildew and hail, yet you did not return to me,’ declares the Lord. ‘From this day on, from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, give careful thought to the day when the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid. Give careful thought: Is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne fruit.

“‘From this day on I will bless you.’”

Zerubbabel the Lord’s Signet Ring

The word of the Lord came to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month: “Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah that I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. I will overturn royal thrones and shatter the power of the foreign kingdoms. I will overthrow chariots and their drivers; horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother.

“‘On that day,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”

—-

From 2 Chronicles 7:11-22

Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lord, and the king’s house: and all that came into Solomon’s heart to make in the house of the Lord, and in his own house, he prosperously effected.

And the Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice.

If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.

For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.

And as for thee, if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, and do according to all that I have commanded thee, and shalt observe my statutes and my judgments; Then will I stablish the throne of thy kingdom, according as I have covenanted with David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man to be ruler in Israel.

But if ye turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments, which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other gods, and worship them;

Then will I pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have sanctified for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations.

And this house, which is high, shall be an astonishment to every one that passeth by it; so that he shall say, Why hath the Lord done thus unto this land, and unto this house?

And it shall be answered, Because they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath he brought all this evil upon them.

MLK Jr – LOVE YOUR ENEMIES

There’s a GREAT speech from Martin Luther King Jr, detailing many reasons for loving your enemies, as Jesus commands. Here is an excerpt – about Love:

“Jesus says, “Love your enemies.” It is this: that love has within it a redemptive power. And there is a power there that eventually transforms individuals. That’s why Jesus says, “Love your enemies.” Because if you hate your enemies, you have no way to redeem and to transform your enemies. But if you love your enemies, you will discover that at the very root of love is the power of redemption. You just keep loving people and keep loving them, even though they’re mistreating you. Here’s the person who is a neighbor, and this person is doing something wrong to you and all of that. Just keep being friendly to that person. Keep loving them. Don’t do anything to embarrass them. Just keep loving them, and they can’t stand it too long. Oh, they react in many ways in the beginning. They react with bitterness because they’re mad because you love them like that. They react with guilt feelings, and sometimes they’ll hate you a little more at that transition period, but just keep loving them. And by the power of your love they will break down under the load. That’s love, you see. It is redemptive, and this is why Jesus says love. There’s something about love that builds up and is creative. There is something about hate that tears down and is destructive. So love your enemies…”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sermons_and_speeches_of_Martin_Luther_King_Jr.#Sermons

Prepare

Prepare… Preparing… Prepared…

Sure they hype the weather, but do we embrace weather READINESS? Blankets and boots, salt and shovels, warm gear? Can you get Subarus excited for snow? WELL, YES! But it’s not the inanimate object getting excited, it’s US excited or at least implored to get prepared… WE CAN GET READY.

PREPARE – that’s for everything – plans and backup plans are good. Worrying about them is not. If we prepare anything, we should prepare our mindsets, how about we plan to follow what God plans. (Including His Plan for our future and even the second coming of the Lord). You know, too much hype is not good for anything or anyone. Weather anticipation or anything that brings us to a fevered level of anxiety. Instead, let’s PREPARE – prepare our snow shovels, prepare our cupboards, prepare our game plan, prepared our hearts.

Game plan? We hype sports, sure, but the teams actually prepare for the games. I’m happy my childhood favorite team inched one game closer to superbowl contention… There are hopeful fans painting their bellies and faces right now preparing for the Sunday games. There is real hope there for the die-hard fans, not just hype. And there are fair-weather fans jumping on the bandwagon, preparing watch parties to have fun… It is good to prepare – my friend prepared her house for a party and everyone appreciated it.

And one mention recently of preparing, this warmed my heart!!! I was SO EXCITED when my shorts-wearing kid took out sweatpants at the last moment in the car just before entering the ice hockey arena! Proud mom moment!!! Pants!! Pre-prepared pants!

So, our Bible lesson from Haggai is a life lesson too – have we prepared for the Lord? In any and all circumstances, are we ready to praise and listen? Haggai sent a message from God to rebuild, work, listen: “… now be strong… Be strong and work. For I am with you… And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.”

The Lord told them to restore their faith and restore His Temple (destroyed in Jerusalem, rebuilding in a few hundred years before Jesus) – prepare for the Lord to be present in the temple and we could also see and read between the lines for the coming of Jesus. . . GOD’S GLORY IS OF JESUS COMING (AND RE-COMING) to the temple directly and to EACH of our temples. We must make room for Jesus inside our temples, clean it up and prepare our hearts.

So, we do thank the Lord for the opportunity to prepare. No hype needed, however the chaos in the world and the loosening of the control of evil is ever around us, and we need to strengthen our contenance and hearts. And the Lord Himself will shake the heavens and the earth, “once again”, therefore we must prepare for His Almighty Power…

Prepare to watch the Lord (and the weather)…

Prepare.

Amen

—

Haggai 2:1-9

And on the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: “Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people. Ask them, ‘Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing But now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord. ‘Be strong, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.’

“This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”

RESTORE and RENEW, Rebuild FOR the Lord, as per Prophet Haggai

I could have called this devotion: the cat been PROMISED that I clean out Christmas decorations and RESTORE more room in the windows!!!! She needs her space RESTORED!!!

Time to REBUILD.

Of course best time is spent in REBUILDING FAITH.

So, as per Prophet Haggai, we are learning about RESTORING PEOPLE’S FAITH AND REBUILDING GOD’S HOUSE! This is a chapter of the Bible timeline we rarely hear much about, the rebuilding of the temple of Jerusalem after so much exile and destruction. It was worth it!!! And this was the now rebuilding that would last into the Roman era.

“I am with you,” declares the Lord.

In our perusal through the old testament prophets, it’s been a rough road for the people of Israel and Judah, exiled and then allowed to return to their temple area (original building by Solomon hundreds of years earlier) but they didn’t restore the temple first, they restored their own houses first… And, as the Lord reminded them, they only scraped by…

The Lord then sent the prophet Haggai to remind them: “The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”

Let us absorb this message – it us SO IMPORTANT to take care to RESTORE. Restore one’s health, one’s attitude, one’s prospects, BUT FIRST RESTORE YOUR REACHING OUT TO GOD. Restore the praise in your life. Restore the devotion and prayer life and yes, even your schedule for communicating with God directly… That’s the RESTORE message here…

Take this “midwinter break”, to decompress, allow downtime in order to gear up for “up time” – RESTORE faith and fellowship and fuel up… mostly, serve the Lord in Your FIRST resort not last…

There is a time to rest (but don’t over-indulge) then take a time to rebuild… And like God’s lesson to Haggai to tell the people, don’t neglect the Lord because God can bless you even more to abundance when you listen to His Plan first….

Our 1st and best restoration? Listening to God!!!

Amen

—

Haggai 1-2:8 NIV

A Call to Build the House of the Lord

In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest: This is what the Lord Almighty says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house.’”

THEN the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?”

Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the Lord. “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house. Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.”

Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared the Lord.

Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave this message of the Lord to the people: “I am with you,” declares the Lord. So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the Lord Almighty, their God, on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month.

The Promised Glory of the New House

In the second year of King Darius, on the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: “Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people. Ask them, ‘Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing? But now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord. ‘Be strong, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.’

The Lord is With You! Zephaniah 2-3

“Motrin ain’t THAT strong.”… The man at karaoke jokingly said last night about his toothache. He said he was tired and in pain from an extensive dental procedure, sat in his truck at home, almost called it a day, but came to this small church gathering anyway, a fun Christian karaoke event (that no less than 3 people told me about). He didn’t sing this time but felt compelled to stand up and witness that THE LORD FOUND STRENGTH INSIDE HIM to be there, and while listening (and singing along from the pews), his pain was gone, he knew it was the Lord. Cool…

“The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”

I also could have rolled home and stayed in, the snow is not an excuse for me, but these cold nights are SO easy to blame for us not going anywhere. However I have a coat, gloves, a subaru, and a friend who invited me, to this Christian karaoke in a tiny cute church, my first time. I didn’t know how it would go, I would have sung, but everybody was lined up ready to sing and with such enthusiasm. Next time I will pick a song in advance… Even one particular first timer up to sing, who was nervous, had a friend to go with her, fittingly she sang Amazing Grace, and we all sang along, knowing and feeling that. The Lord says: something good is about to happen, yeah I sang along with that old-time show stopper… I marveled at everybody’s great voice, I knew I was hearing their strength in the Spirit, and saw the Lord’s Righteousness walking upright as they walked up to sing praise… How sweet the sound of spirit praise… pitch perfect praise…

Do we remember that the Lord will take care of us? Reduce our pain or push us into purpose? Will we really HOLD ON, and wait for the Lord? God has given us examples after examples to preserve, even in the worst attacks of the enemies, or the most annoying pain of living. I know this from living, and I know this from reading…

The last part of the writings of the prophet Zephaniah is true to the whole bible message that God will dig us out of the pit, rescue us from enemies, reward us for listening and worshipping, and just plain keep us on our toes to follow His Plan for us…

Let us be sheltered in Him on that upcoming day of His judgement.

If we’ve done something wrong, we should repent. If we are not listening, we should listen. If we doubt then we should believe. If we are going great, we should praise God’s faithfulness. If we just don’t know what to do, let us listen to God’s calling. Pray…

I really remember the song that brought me excitement for “something good is about to happen”… It’s an old classic I could tell, sung with a revival type energy… We may or may not be realizing we need revival, but trust that we do… All people and nations need to remember God will judge folks in His Time, and if we are too cushy and complacent then our enemies are around us as worldliness trappings and cushioned living to prevent us from adventuring out in His Strength…

Let us listen to these once again reminders to shelter in the Lord, not our own temporary dwelling… draw strength from His righteousness and let God deal with the mess around us, and we walk ahead WITH THE LORD to better things…

Something good is about to happen. That might just be God sheltering us, allowing us to sing His Praise or making us stand up to be seen. Don’t worry, just like karaoke, He will give us the words and WORD!!!

Amen….

—

Please read below – Zephaniah is speaking to all the oppressors in the divided kingdom time, and the elite of Judah and Jerusalem as well… don’t get so cushy in complacency… FOLLOW GOD AND HE WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU!!!

Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord’s anger.

…

The Lord their God will care for them; he will restore their fortunes.

…

“The remnant of my people will plunder them; the survivors of my nation will inherit their land.”

…

“At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home. I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes,” says the Lord.

“Sing, Daughter Zion; shout aloud, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm. On that day they will say to Jerusalem, “Do not fear, Zion; do not let your hands hang limp. The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”

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Zephaniah 2-3 NIV

Judah and Jerusalem Judged Along With the Nations – Judah Summoned to Repent

Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord’s anger.

Philistia

Gaza will be abandoned and Ashkelon left in ruins. At midday Ashdod will be emptied and Ekron uprooted. Woe to you who live by the sea, you Kerethite people; the word of the Lord is against you, Canaan, land of the Philistines. He says, “I will destroy you, and none will be left.” The land by the sea will become pastures having wells for shepherds and pens for flocks. That land will belong to the remnant of the people of Judah; there they will find pasture. In the evening they will lie down in the houses of Ashkelon. The Lord their God will care for them; he will restore their fortunes.

Moab and Ammon

“I have heard the insults of Moab and the taunts of the Ammonites, who insulted my people and made threats against their land. Therefore, as surely as I live,” declares the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, “surely Moab will become like Sodom, the Ammonites like Gomorrah – a place of weeds and salt pits, a wasteland forever.

The remnant of my people will plunder them; the survivors of my nation will inherit their land.”

This is what they will get in return for their pride, for insulting and mocking the people of the Lord Almighty. The Lord will be awesome to them when he destroys all the gods of the earth. Distant nations will bow down to him, all of them in their own lands.

Cush

“You Cushites, too, will be slain by my sword.”

Assyria

He will stretch out his hand against the north and destroy Assyria, leaving Nineveh utterly desolate and dry as the desert. Flocks and herds will lie down there, creatures of every kind. The desert owl and the screech owl will roost on her columns. Their hooting will echo through the windows, rubble will fill the doorways, the beams of cedar will be exposed. This is the city of revelry that lived in safety. She said to herself, “I am the one! And there is none besides me.” What a ruin she has become, a lair for wild beasts! All who pass by her scoff and shake their fists.

Jerusalem

Woe to the city of oppressors, rebellious and defiled! She obeys no one, she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the Lord, she does not draw near to her God. Her officials within her are roaring lions; her rulers are evening wolves, who leave nothing for the morning. Her prophets are unprincipled; they are treacherous people. Her priests profane the sanctuary and do violence to the law. The Lord within her is righteous; he does no wrong. Morning by morning he dispenses his justice, and every new day he does not fail, yet the unrighteous know no shame.

Jerusalem Remains Unrepentant

“I have destroyed nations; their strongholds are demolished. I have left their streets deserted, with no one passing through. Their cities are laid waste; they are deserted and empty. Of Jerusalem I thought, ‘Surely you will fear me and accept correction!’ Then her place of refuge would not be destroyed, nor all my punishments come upon her. But they were still eager to act corruptly in all they did. Therefore wait for me,” declares the Lord, “for the day I will stand up to testify.

I have decided to assemble the nations, to gather the kingdoms and to pour out my wrath on them – all my fierce anger. The whole world will be consumed by the fire of my jealous anger.

Restoration of Israel’s Remnant

“Then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve him shoulder to shoulder. From beyond the rivers of Cush my worshipers, my scattered people, will bring me offerings. On that day you, Jerusalem, will not be put to shame for all the wrongs you have done to me, because I will remove from you your arrogant boasters. Never again will you be haughty on my holy hill. But I will leave within you the meek and humble. The remnant of Israel will trust in the name of the Lord. They will do no wrong; they will tell no lies. A deceitful tongue will not be found in their mouths. They will eat and lie down and no one will make them afraid.”

Sing, Daughter Zion; shout aloud, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm. On that day they will say to Jerusalem, “Do not fear, Zion; do not let your hands hang limp. The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”

“I will remove from you all who mourn over the loss of your appointed festivals, which is a burden and reproach for you. At that time I will deal with all who oppressed you. I will rescue the lame; I will gather the exiles. I will give them praise and honor in every land where they have suffered shame. At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home. I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes,” says the Lord.

Pray Without Ceasing

Please pray for a woman whom I don’t know, the pain and defiance on her face, WOW, she was standing with 2 arm brace type canes in awful pain just entering physical therapy and there was no interaction you could have with her, with the exception that stated she HAD to talk to our physical therapist. I tried to offer her a chair and the PT aide tried to offer her the heat pack, but she stood solid in seriousness unparalleled defiant focus. I still see her face this next morning. Prayers and mercy were my thoughts rather than being put off that I could not interact to distract.

PRAYERS were and are our last resort and FIRST resort, only to be supercede by PRAISE to God that we DO have Him to pray to, for His intercession and mercy. Praying without ceasing is urged to get us through the day, even in our wordless groans. Hopefully those prayers are not always for our pain, but also for good reasons and for each decision we make. Thank God for His forgiveness in those bad decisions we also might make in missteps.

Grace is God’s example to us, we ask forgiveness and Jesus says we must GIVE forgiveness too. Grace given to those suffering in pain without choice must be unparalleled in God’s Hands. God must and is definitely and defiantly and decidedly going to still love those who can not utter praise at the moment. We should too, no matter how awkward or upsetting. When we forgive, it takes the weight off our shoulders. Forgiveness takes a God-sized task off our burdened shoulders weighing us down. Jesus said let me carry that. We really can give up things and people and situations to God for His judgement, and be grateful for His mercy on us. Remember, God goes before us and knows the valley of shadows we encounter, SO KEEP MOVING.

And please pray for MANY friends (and all those we don’t know) who are going through tough times, thanks. I know a few choice scriptures:

1) The Lord put this verse in front of me, on a bracelet: Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God”.

2)James 1:2-12 which came to mind in a conversation yesterday for someone a mess:

Trials and Temptations: Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. …. Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. But the rich should take pride in their humiliation–since they will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business. … Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

3) and the thought that followed- no matter how good we are, amassing treasure in heaven over earth, we WILL cast our crowns down to the feet of the Lord, when we see Him. May we be in spirit, like John, and praise God, for we can approach but never gain His Worthiness of PRAISE. This is Revelation 4 given to John: The Throne in Heaven – After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.

In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying:

“‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.””

Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”

4) a favorite: Psalm 23 KJV

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Oh My Prophet Zephaniah, STRENGTHEN OUR CORE, Focus and Faith

Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord’s anger.

Time for the unknown-to-me prophet name of Zephaniah… a prophet placed at the right time to tell of God’s Plan. Then and now.. Zephaniah was in the southern divided kingdom Judah – seeing all that went down in Judah and Jerusalem of Israel. He warned and warned… pray for God’s shelter he implored.

We should take notice of these old times to understand the times ahead… There is evil in the world still, and God has a plan for the healing of the nations… this book is a microcosm of then and power demonstration of to come. Have Hope. Have shelter in Jesus.

The Bible Project video is so helpful!

I question why so many prophets and why for us to learn all these huge chunks of history… I believe a three enforcement and strengthening. This sounds like my physical therapy time, I already know issues of my situation, therefore strengthening is key for a better focus and function.

Let us continually focus and strengthen with knowledge of God’s Plan and Grace… it’s a bumpy ride at times for the world, but KEEP HOLDING ON TO THE LOVE! Let the Lord be our shield and shelter.

AMEN

—–

Zephaniah 1-2:3 NIV

The word of the Lord that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, during the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah:

Judgment on the Whole Earth in the Day of the Lord

“I will sweep away everything from the face of the earth,” declares the Lord.

“I will sweep away both man and beast; I will sweep away the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea – and the idols that cause the wicked to stumble.”

“When I destroy all mankind on the face of the earth,” declares the Lord, “I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all who live in Jerusalem. I will destroy every remnant of Baal worship in this place, the very names of the idolatrous priests – those who bow down on the roofs to worship the starry host, those who bow down and swear by the Lord and who also swear by Molek, those who turn back from following the Lord and neither seek the Lord nor inquire of him.”

Be silent before the Sovereign Lord, for the day of the Lord is near. The Lord has prepared a sacrifice; he has consecrated those he has invited.

“On the day of the Lord’s sacrifice I will punish the officials and the king’s sons and all those clad in foreign clothes. On that day I will punish all who avoid stepping on the threshold, who fill the temple of their gods with violence and deceit.

“On that day,” declares the Lord, “a cry will go up from the Fish Gate, wailing from the New Quarter, and a loud crash from the hills. Wail, you who live in the market district; all your merchants will be wiped out, all who trade with silver will be destroyed. At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish those who are complacent, who are like wine left on its dregs, who think, ‘The Lord will do nothing, either good or bad.’ Their wealth will be plundered, their houses demolished. Though they build houses, they will not live in them; though they plant vineyards, they will not drink the wine.”

The great day of the Lord is near – near and coming quickly. The cry on the day of the Lord is bitter; the Mighty Warrior shouts his battle cry. That day will be a day of wrath – a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness – a day of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the corner towers.

“I will bring such distress on all people that they will grope about like those who are blind, because they have sinned against the Lord. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their entrails like dung. Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the Lord’s wrath.”

In the fire of his jealousy the whole earth will be consumed, for he will make a sudden end of all who live on the earth.

Judah and Jerusalem Judged Along With the Nations – Judah Summoned to Repent

Gather together, gather yourselves together, you shameful nation, before the decree takes effect and that day passes like windblown chaff, before the Lord’s fierce anger comes upon you, before the day of the Lord’s wrath comes upon you. Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord’s anger.

—

Bible Project video – so helpful!

In the Passing of a Friend, Jesus makes the Amen to Amend

A poem for the one year anniversary of my friend’s passing… it’s been a whole year, wow… Her family is doing well.

There is now a beautiful stone… Recently another friend made a beautiful grave blanket with pink accents. Yes our friend would have loved this… She is not “lost” or “late” just relocated to Heaven… She now loves with completeness in Jesus.

Whatever we go through in life, it is Jesus who makes the final call and His Amen is an amen-d-ment to our lives… a finish-up, supplement, and surpassing amen to our lives lived for Him.

Here’s the poem:

Oh my friend, you’ve met Jesus Face to Face. Surely you share now a Forever Embrace.

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You left your earthly pain, you were Heaven’s Gain.

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I feel it in my soul, that like you, living for Jesus, serving Him, IS our best life goal.

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May you have Heavenly rest and all the best.

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We will meet again and live forever then.

In the passing of a friend, Jesus makes the Amen amend and life begins again.

Love you my friend…

Amen

Oh the Water and the Living Water…

This story I just watched on PBS video was interesting, helping illustrate how Los Angeles came to be… and the hardships of the regions that lost their diverted water to grow LA… to have overgrown capacity etc… interesting… The tragedies of today are in line with tragedies of the past… Life is fragile and yet the Lord helps us persevere. The Lord set us up for depending upon Him.

“Flood in the Desert | Full Documentary | AMERICAN EXPERIENCE | PBS” on YouTube

And we have to remember that all over the world, people push the boundaries of living. Some by choice, some by default… look at the pros and cons of living in the fertile valley of a volcano… you just never know… and it’s not just the landscape, it’s the water, and whoever controls the water controls the situations, impacts the political forces, and the struggles of the withouts… THIS WAS AND IS NOT NEW, as I remember a teacher stating this when I was in school… Sure, watch money run the world, but watch WATER MAINTENANCE control the livelihoods of people.

We see over and over the world that water is primary need and a hot commodity… Thank God for the rain, when it comes, to fill local reservoirs for our resources… we had a mini drought this year in the east, can’t even imagine the droughts of the west.

We think of the harshness of our time, the wars and rumors of wars, and all these hardships Jesus warned about… the directve is to “look up, our salvation is near…”

Yes, keep the faith… the Living Water is coming back soon…

Amen

—

Matthew 24:3-

The Signs of the Times and the End of the Age

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”

And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

The Great Tribulation

“Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.

“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand.

“Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.

The Coming of the Son of Man

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

—

I recommend history lessons – sadly history of past aggressive building up of land and diverting water, this story, published a year ago, is super interesting…

“Flood in the Desert | Full Documentary | AMERICAN EXPERIENCE | PBS” on YouTubehttps://youtu.be/ocju4Y23j0M?si=h53-cAbZjt3qp3TO

God is Still Unchanging and Critical Infrastructure, Praying for California

Just as I’m starting to write this 7am, I’m watching a utility truck outside my house.The sign on the truck door indicates that they are the people who are climbing the electricity poles and inspecting them, as I know there are replacements being installed.

There are four guys and i’m watching them and surely a set routine protocol, prepping their stuff. One guy also has his coffee and I noticed one guy is not wearing gloves in this snowy morning… After I write this out, probably go bring him some instant hand warmers. I’m blessed in Infrastructure of heat, shelter, electricity and water – may we never take them for granted.

The utility folks have gear and supplies, in carts and backpacks ready to climb, very prepared. And In wake of the news of the devastating wildfires this week in California, I’m sure that those firefighters were surely prepared. Very prepared but lacking crucial water. The article I read spoke of the epic proportions of this fire, not just one demanding all the water. Plus all the sprinkler systems, let alone hydrants, that were activated all at once drained the water pressure fast as well. It was epic critical collapse of systems overtaken. Many prayers. Many prayers in rebuilding too…

The Living Water of Jesus never runs dry. His comfort, His power, His presence., consistent and immediate and immeasurable. The scriptures state God never changes, love never fails, and He is ever present. Even when we take God for granted, He doesn’t change and He is supplied unending with our reach to Him. Remember, we don’t have to reach back, because we can reach FORWARD. God is everywhere.

Jesus not only volunteered to be pressed into service, the Holy Spirit follows us and leads us TO Jesus. We are to be directed embers of His love warming a situation and partakers even splashers into His Holy Living Water. His Hope unending and life motivating. He builds His Kingdom with His infrastructure of faith in us.

Let us move through our day, no matter what, and praise both the infrastructure as well as freshness of faith in us. God wants the good spread of the kingdom of heaven, and He will build and rebuild.

Keep moving… Keep growing…

Amen

—

PS – the guy grabbed his gloves… it’s been a lot of prep! So it is with God too.

—

Luke 13:18-21 (God bless the infrastructure of the Kingdom of God)

The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast

Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches.”

Again he asked, “What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

—-

Article on the water situation in California:

Interesting how they spelling of water is not correct, but interesting article. https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/why-did-california-firefighters-run-out-of-watar/1732419

In Plains Sight, JC Bless JC, Remembering Jimmy Carter

I’ve been to Plains Georgia, home of Jimmy Carter, to the peanut farms, in the mid or late 1970s early 1980s, yes, amid the many years that my family embraced quite the traveling bug. Oh that was such a blessing. We went everywhere up and down the east coast twice a year. And once in Plains Georgia, I remember just a little being so young, my dad driving through and I remember the amazement that someone could rise to greatness as a president out of a tiny town. We got something from a gift shop somewhere, raw peanuts, a strange experience as I never had them, they grow from underground, marvelous wow… And I remember that trip my Georgia-residing uncle was thrilled to show us all the sights including that experience, in Plains sight.

I never met Jimmy Carter, but my uncle did! My uncle was in the administration of the state of Georgia’s prison system and he once sat at a private dinner with the then Governor and Mrs Carter, I can see professional black and white 1960s photo, 8 x 10, crisp in my mind. My uncle so proud. Peanuts to some, but not to us, it was AWESOME to understand this connection of the little guy to the big, to feel the down to earthness too, right there in Plains sight.

I appreciated the funeral services for President Carter both DC and in Plains, I watched the video replay in binge speed, tearing up many times during the speeches listening on my commute home. Oh the beautiful sharing of Jesus’s name and mission, and the goodness of the faith Jimmy Carter had, JC in JC. The smaller funeral in Plains was touching like it was for Rosslyn. This time the cameras showed the graveside too, from a distance. Loved the preacher was very personal, the message about the fruits of the Spirit was so perfect, and the family being so held together with the community. It was love in Plains sight…

I pray them peace. Amy Carter was young entering the White House, when I was young too. Her brothers older are now older too, like all of us. And 100 years for JC – wow – JC trusting in JC.

I pray we too will have full lives lived, and like JC and JC, rise from a small town into a big scene. Not to be president but to humbly cast our crowns in Heaven to the greatness of the Lord. That’s a day when Jesus will be in our Plains Sight.

Amen

-‐

A couple of the DC speeches; and the whole event in Plains and DC:

Fast forward to Plains at the 3 hrs mark:

The DC portion:

The flyover Missing Man formation

When the World is Broken, God’s Appointed One Saves, Book of Habakkuk

It’s devastating to see the fires uncontrollable in the west, and we have too many conflicts seemingly unstoppable in the world, and the struggles and strife that is overwhelming the people everywhere, so tough to see. I’ve heard an adage: if you put your troubles in a hat with everyone else, would you be afraid to get someone elses or seriously want to keep your own and deal with them… hmmmm… many of us probably would keep our own problems.

In general however, is this a bad time of life? But when has life been perfect? Never. Our faith friend, poet prophet Habakkuk, could relate to any generation’s troubled times, his time was a REALLY BAD TIME, living oppressed in divided kingdoms, seeing Israelites and Judah-ites attacked by Assyria just before Babylon tips the situation from bad to worse. So, Habakkuk brought his concerns right up to God, and God gave Habakkuk HOPE in knowing that the evil will eventually fall, and the PROMISE of a SAVIOR would he fulfilled and He would rise up while every knee will bow. The wrath of God’s cup will pour. The evil will cease. The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.

We are asked to praise God in all circumstances, I have a new poem placard which says: “Happy moments, PRAISE GOD;

Difficult moments, SEEK GOD;

Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD;

Painful moments, TRUST GOD;

Every moment, THANK GOD.” Yes! (it’s a quote from Rick Warren, I found out) YES!

THAT SAID, we should STILL bring our concerns directly up to God and especially listen to his Word, because already there are answers there: especially that we are to PRAISE GOD no matter what, find perseverance, trust in Him, follow Jesus’s life advice, and be Holy because He is Holy.

Prophet Habakkuk laments evil, but God responds that He will deal with evil with even more power. God is our defender Whom has gone ahead. Yes, the world is broken, but God will send a Savior to the world (we know this is Jesus Whom came and is here and will physically come again. The nations rise and fall, but justice returns and corruption will cease.

The evil will cease, but “the righteous will live by faith”.

We are to TRUST that God has this life for us under control. And we are to keep living in His Righteousness. Righteousness is God’s ability to “right” us, make us upright in His eyes by His doing and needing our faith. Habakkuk questions God and comes back with stronger faith.

Amen

***The short Bible Project video about Habakkuk’s writing is worth watching***:

—

Chapter 3

Habakkuk’s Prayer

A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth.

Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord.

Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.

God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. His glory covered the heavens and his praise filled the earth. His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden. Plague went before him; pestilence followed his steps. He stood, and shook the earth; he looked, and made the nations tremble. The ancient mountains crumbled and the age-old hills collapsed – but he marches on forever. I saw the tents of Cushan in distress, the dwellings of Midian in anguish.

Were you angry with the rivers, Lord? Was your wrath against the streams? Did you rage against the sea when you rode your horses and your chariots to victory? You uncovered your bow, you called for many arrows. You split the earth with rivers; the mountains saw you and writhed. Torrents of water swept by; the deep roared and lifted its waves on high.

Sun and moon stood still in the heavens at the glint of your flying arrows, at the lightning of your flashing spear. In wrath you strode through the earth and in anger you threshed the nations. You came out to deliver your people, to save your anointed one. You crushed the leader of the land of wickedness, you stripped him from head to foot. With his own spear you pierced his head when his warriors stormed out to scatter us, gloating as though about to devour the wretched who were in hiding. You trampled the sea with your horses, churning the great waters.

I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us. Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.

For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.

—-

God-fearing Knees, Habakkuk 123

I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.

It was remarkable to overhear, a God-fearing piece of advice given to the man next to me at physical therapy, practicing on the stairs. The PT repeated their sage advice to knee-replacement folks: “go up to heaven with the good and down to ‘you know where’ with the bad.” In other words, lead with good knee going up, putting your full weight on the trusty one longer. The opposite for down, the bad knee/leg leads down. (because the good knee can save it). Interesting.

Nifty advice – for knees and faith. Let us try to be good, put our weight on good motions, and trust one going up. Trust ONE going up, ah that’s where a devotion comes in – because if our knees or needs are out of whack or not, we will be kneeling in awe of God, Who has the righteousness, not us, we need a TRUSTY ONE to bring us to Heaven – Jesus our Savior.

Of course my mom’s advice rings in my head: “HOLD THE RAIL” for when climbing or descending the stairs – and surely we could take the MOST secure steps holding Jesus’s Hand.

In thinking of the very descriptive scenario of Old Testament prophet Habakkuk’s pleadings with God, while the exiled Israelites were under duress by the Assyrians oppressing them, and then knowing his supplications with God’s answers, we can see the decisiveness and fierceness of heaven and hell. Hell IS so awful and away from God and His mercy, we DO NOT WANT TO GO THERE. Instead let us GO WITH GOD.

Habakkuk asks:

Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds.

God answers: be patient, you will see, woe to evil, “but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness.”

So, the knees on stairs are a cute way of thinking about PT, and people for heaven and hell, but it’s righteousness and faithfulness which bring us up. Yes, good deeds and good knees give us a better life and help us each step of the way, true. But on bad knees and even good we know we can not get up to God’s level on our own righteousness, we need the Lord.

Not deeds but faith indeed.

And what about those “guilty people, whose own strength is their god” ? Heaven and hell will deal with them, we don’t have to take on judgment. And remember there is no joy in people going to hell. God takes no joy in punishment, none. These words from Habakkuk’s prophesy predict the scene at end times, mentioned in book of Revelation: “The cup from the Lord’s right hand is coming around to you, and disgrace will cover your glory.”

May we all see the staircase and hold the rail. May we all know the Lord and be grateful. May we drink from the good cup of Jesus and not one of wrath.

Have God-fearing knees and bow in awe.

Amen

—

Habakkuk 1, 2, 3 (NIV)

The prophecy that Habakkuk the prophet received.

Habakkuk’s Complaint

How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.

The Lord’s Answer

“Look at the nations and watch – and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told. I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwellings not their own. They are a feared and dreaded people; they are a law to themselves and promote their own honor. Their horses are swifter than leopards, fiercer than wolves at dusk. Their cavalry gallops headlong; their horsemen come from afar. They fly like an eagle swooping to devour; they all come intent on violence. Their hordes advance like a desert wind and gather prisoners like sand. They mock kings and scoff at rulers. They laugh at all fortified cities; by building earthen ramps they capture them. Then they sweep past like the wind and go on— guilty people, whose own strength is their god.”

Habakkuk’s Second Complaint

Lord, are you not from everlasting? My God, my Holy One, you will never die. You, Lord, have appointed them to execute judgment; you, my Rock, have ordained them to punish. Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves? You have made people like the fish in the sea, like the sea creatures that have no ruler. The wicked foe pulls all of them up with hooks, he catches them in his net, he gathers them up in his dragnet; and so he rejoices and is glad. Therefore he sacrifices to his net and burns incense to his dragnet, for by his net he lives in luxury and enjoys the choicest food. Is he to keep on emptying his net, destroying nations without mercy?

I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint.

The Lord’s Answer

Then the Lord replied:

“Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.

“See, the enemy is puffed up; his desires are not upright— but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness – indeed, wine betrays him; he is arrogant and never at rest. Because he is as greedy as the grave and like death is never satisfied, he gathers to himself all the nations and takes captive all the peoples.

“Will not all of them taunt him with ridicule and scorn, saying,

“‘Woe to him who piles up stolen goods and makes himself wealthy by extortion! How long must this go on?’ Will not your creditors suddenly arise? Will they not wake up and make you tremble? Then you will become their prey. Because you have plundered many nations, the peoples who are left will plunder you. For you have shed human blood; you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.

“Woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain, setting his nest on high to escape the clutches of ruin! You have plotted the ruin of many peoples, shaming your own house and forfeiting your life. The stones of the wall will cry out, and the beams of the woodwork will echo it.

“Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by injustice! Has not the Lord Almighty determined that the people’s labor is only fuel for the fire, that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing? For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

“Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors, pouring it from the wineskin till they are drunk, so that he can gaze on their naked bodies! You will be filled with shame instead of glory. Now it is your turn! Drink and let your nakedness be exposed! The cup from the Lord’s right hand is coming around to you, and disgrace will cover your glory. The violence you have done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, and your destruction of animals will terrify you. For you have shed human blood; you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.

“Of what value is an idol carved by a craftsman? Or an image that teaches lies? For the one who makes it trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak. Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Come to life!’ Or to lifeless stone, ‘Wake up!’ Can it give guidance? It is covered with gold and silver; there is no breath in it.”

The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.

Habakkuk’s Prayer

A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth.

Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord.

Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.

Sun and moon stood still in the heavens at the glint of your flying arrows, at the lightning of your flashing spear. In wrath you strode through the earth and in anger you threshed the nations. You came out to deliver your people, to save your anointed one. You crushed the leader of the land of wickedness, you stripped him from head to foot. With his own spear you pierced his head when his warriors stormed out to scatter us, gloating as though about to devour the wretched who were in hiding. You trampled the sea with your horses, churning the great waters.

I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us. Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.

For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.

Christmas Unexplained

If there’s one thing that has gone unexplained this Christmas, for me, it is the appearance of what I could say is way too many christmas penguins!!! I have no explanation, but I have visualized more penguins this year, than ever. But it’s probably because I know I have a heightened awareness of noticing them. I don’t necessarily like this (nothing against regular penguins, mind you), I don’t like it because it reminds me of a falsehood planted by a movie “When Santa Claus Comes to Town”, showing one penguin “Topper” to work with Santa at Santa’s workshop – but it’s the wrong attribute of the North Pole, penguins are only at the South Pole (and remarkable animals they are) – it is the carried away portion of interpretation I don’t like, for no good reason. And I DO know that this is ALL SILLY and there’s plenty of Santa Christmas unexpected and unexplained – and SILLY. I mean I have no problems with other Santa misconceptions, I’m not sure why these penguins BUG ME this year specifically, except that my last resort (should have been my first resort) is to connect my situation of visualization with a spiritual perspective and I write what it COULD mean in a devotion… It’s all personal because I have to process verbally in some format..

(Hilarity aside, I do NOT want to collect penguins, so nobody send me one… And I already have a few.)

I started asking this morning: “Lord, let’s close this chapter away this year, ok?”, before I undecorate, let me know what I should write, process, penguin away. I know that there is a lesson in unexplained penguins with a yet connected Christmas experience – this is of a foreigner – so perhaps for my writing and certainly there’s lots in the pondering to explain in the real Christmas story of You without even placing it on a certain date that got introduced thousand plus years ago as a calendar feast day… Perhaps we can be reminded that as beautiful as this earth is, we are foreigners here. As beautiful as Christmas scenes are, You came in not with flashing lights and neon, but humbled as a baby, You were and still are viewed too as foreign and even radical in love, to so many who don’t know You, do not understood You.

Christmas unexplained became Easter realized for so many, including us in faith.

Lord, You are not of this world, but connected fully to it’s people, and creatures, and creations. You Lord, remind us to work in place, be Your hands and feet in our little corner of the earth, at Christmas and always. Ah… our mindset also must shift to not be afraid to humbly move away from comfort and into the foxholes of life, move into mission and movement. Take the baby of our Christmas faith and raise it up in foreign territory, like Joseph and Mary going to Egypt, and back, protecting the Jesus in our personal perspective and care.

I’m not ready to put away Christmas decorations yet, we only just now got some snow and the tucked away feeling that I allow myself for January (but not February because that finds me ready for winter camping with scouts and polar plunges etc)… but for now I will stay in and ponder christmas unexplained and process what can be processed with the explanation that as homey as we make it here in our houses or this earth, it’s still not our home.

Work in the world, like Jesus, but stay away from the trappings…

Let us waddle like a penguin in danger and away from it (like this ice this morning), walk like a penguin and yet fly in faith with Jesus to wherever we need to go, explained or not…

Christmas unexplained is faith realized…

Amen

—-

Paul’s exhortation to fellow Jesus believers in those early days:

Hebrews 13:1-2, 5-NIV

Concluding Exhortations

Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.

…

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”

Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by eating ceremonial foods, which is of no benefit to those who do so. We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat. The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

—

John 8:12-30

Dispute Over Jesus’ Testimony

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

The Pharisees challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.”

Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.”

Then they asked him, “Where is your father?”

“You do not know me or my Father,” Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” He spoke these words while teaching in the temple courts near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no one seized him, because his hour had not yet come.

Dispute Over Who Jesus Is

Once more Jesus said to them, “I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.” This made the Jews ask, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘Where I go, you cannot come’?” But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.”

“Who are you?” they asked.

“Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,” Jesus replied. “I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is trustworthy, and what I have heard from him I tell the world.”

They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father. So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.” Even as he spoke, many believed in him.

Travel Smart, Listen Wisely, Follow Humbly, Epiphany, Book of Matthew, 06JAN

With today’s or any day’s weather it’s smart to watch the radar, and the traffic cams. Seems wise to know when to go or not. Have supplies in the car too. TRAVEL SMART.

Travel Smart, Listen Wisely, Follow Humbly.

It’s Epiphany! The arrival of the kings to Jesus and well they traveled SMART, not just because they were watching where the caravan animals stepped, but because they were educated and read the radar of the skies, following what they learned about a king of the Jewish people being born out of Judah, and traveled smart listened wisely to the angels on the way home too, avoiding Herod, who had evil intentions.

The wise men were “divinely warned” and were humble in following – they went to worship and give gifts – they traveled however long was required, watching the start, following it, and took the long route when necessary.

Joseph also traveled smart and listened wisely and followed humbly, the family escaped Herod by going to Egypt, they traveled and then returned. It was both for safety as well as fulfilled prophesy.

Matthew the author of the book also followed humbly, he followed Jesus as a disciple, followed humbly in giving up his known life for one of piety, study, exploration and exposition into what it meant to be a new Christian. He knew to follow and Jesus knew to pick Matthew.

Jesus traveled smart and listened wisely and followed humbly. Jesus as God had much to know about the people He would encounter, He conversed continually with His Father God, and He directed the Holy Spirit of God to be instilled in us as a living word. Jesus followed humbly in fulfilling scriptures and bringing salvation by divine destiny, desire and duty.

May we follow too.

Travel Smart, Listen Wisely, Follow Humbly.

Amen

—-

Matthew 2:1-15

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:

‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”

Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”

When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

The Flight into Egypt

Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”

When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.

God’s Got This Handled, like Nahum 123

Finished the little book of Nahum with the big realization that when God says He is protecting Jacob’s descendants, He really is… Then and now and in the future. God’s got this handled. God’s Promise sticks.

The overtaking of Nineveh and Assyria is spelled out in a poem, decreed that Nineveh be exiled and carried away. And “good stuff” will be dashed away by invaders.

“Nineveh is like a pool whose water is draining away. “

“Plunder the silver! Plunder the gold!

“Hearts melt, knees give way, bodies tremble, every face grows pale.”

God means business!

And God will protect His people, Isaiah 41 wrote: “But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend, I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, ‘You are my servant’; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Yes

We need also to return to paying attention further into the future, not just our own lot. Also not get lost in the blur of bad in front of us, not get downtrodden in despair, but look to the Lord for His repair. There is nothing unrepairable with the Lord, but He does toss away unproductive times, burns branches that don’t bear fruit.

His days will find us a step closer to the time Jesus will return.

Amen

—

Read all of Nahum 2-3 here:https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Nahum%202-3&version=NIV

Praising God, Past Present Future, Nahum 1

It’s time to get through these minor prophets, maybe quick like? Like Nahum 1 2 3, right? Well NO, my goal of an artificial finish date of writing through the old testament is unreasonable unrealistic and unbalanced – in other words I NEED TO SAVOR AND STUDY THESE DEEP CHAPTERS.

Like the cat who will sit with me in the still of the morning, while writing, it’s good to savor the season of study, especially with some much good scripture to absorb.

And I’m now in the book of Nahum, inside the issues of Nineveh, where at one point Jonah, warning them, probably thought the inside of the whale was more desirable than being in evil Nineveh. We can see from previous chapters that Judah, the region of chosen people descendants of Jacob, was often upset by Nineveh. Nineveh on the map is in the Mesopotamian region, modern Iraq.

Why so MANY stories about people in the old and new testaments? Stories of God’s prophets and messages? There’s something here to learn from the people of the pastby us now, and surely those of the future. We are told that there will be the greatest of awakenings yet to come, so surely the Lord had set up the biggest set of lessons and hopes, in these pages, stories of empires who rise and fall, peoples through David in whom God keeps the seed of Jesus kindled, and now in the reminder that God wants our attention still. Yes, every piece of the Word is alive.

Does God change His Ways or change people to see His Ways differently? I’d have to say the later. God has harsh treatment for Nineveh, calls out their evil, both in Jonah’s time and hundred years later in Nahum’s, yet we learn in the middle of Nahum 1, that God is merciful and the prophesies teach this:

The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him,but with an overwhelming flood he will make an end of Nineveh; he will pursue his foes into the realm of darkness.

Nahum was a prophet, an Elkoshite, this is where I dig a little deeper myself and consult scholars, including my favorite overview in the Bible Project videos ( I usually try to read the chapter first and then go to the video if needed). So, would we need to know what an Elkoshite is? Well, I like geography and knowing God’s calling for His Word to travel. Nahum’s messages were to travel to the area of Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, which would take part in the crushing of the northern split kingdom of Israelites and Judah-ites, only to be crushed later by Babylon, who in itself was showing evil ways. The layers of turmoil remind us that these days turmoil is not new, and world powers now and to come have MUCH to learn from the past, especially how God is SOVEREIGN and will defeat the nations that rise up in evil ways.

God wants our attention.

God wants us to praise and listen. That IS the unchanged GOD of past present and future. Jesus, took away the sting of sin and death and God will defeat all evil once and for all. Pray for that day and our Way getting there…

I will contemplate the Lord in these readings in many ways these days. Just because there’s chaos in the world doesn’t mean God isn’t calming inside. We learn, listen, work and wait. We work on sharing the Word, because it is the Word that saves the oppressed.

Let us praise, for God’s rallying for His children, forever.

Amen

—

Nahum 1 – A prophecy concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.

The Lord’s Anger Against Nineveh

The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The Lord takes vengeance on his foes and vents his wrath against his enemies.

The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet. He rebukes the sea and dries it up; he makes all the rivers run dry.

Bashan and Carmel wither and the blossoms of Lebanon fade. The mountains quake before him and the hills melt away. The earth trembles at his presence, the world and all who live in it. Who can withstand his indignation? Who can endure his fierce anger? His wrath is poured out like fire; the rocks are shattered before him.

The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him, but with an overwhelming flood he will make an end of Nineveh; he will pursue his foes into the realm of darkness.

Whatever they plot against the Lord he will bring to an end; trouble will not come a second time. They will be entangled among thorns and drunk from their wine; they will be consumed like dry stubble. From you, Nineveh, has one come forth who plots evil against the Lord and devises wicked plans.

This is what the Lord says: “Although they have allies and are numerous, they will be destroyed and pass away. Although I have afflicted you, Judah, I will afflict you no more. Now I will break their yoke from your neck and tear your shackles away.”

The Lord has given a command concerning you, Nineveh: “You will have no descendants to bear your name. I will destroy the images and idols that are in the temple of your gods. I will prepare your grave, for you are vile.”

Look, there on the mountains, the feet of one who brings good news, who proclaims peace! Celebrate your festivals, Judah, and fulfill your vows. No more will the wicked invade you; they will be completely destroyed.

—

Good Bible Project video:

The Great Inside, 2025

It’s 2025, 3 days in… Thank God it’s Friday – that sentiment is great and the relief of whatever this relief is, going into a weekend, is palatable. Thank God it’s Friday is a known in a world of unknowns, especially 3 days in what we think is a new fresh year… yet already there’s been tragedies and continuing wars, fear and fear mongering hype, and hype for everything including the weather… the hype there comes deeper than the snow…

Deeper than snow or hype is evil, and we have seen enough this year alone, it’s sad that we deal with a broken world and there’s not going to be solid relief until Jesus returns (I urge “any cloud now” as we pray “Lord return quickly”) and because Jesus will put the devil out of business permanently, once and for all. We DO need to know Jesus already commanded Satan to backdown and we have to call upon Jesus to keep moving. We have hope day to day in Peace that people are trying to forge, us too – that’s where we also should be the peacemakers. “Blessed are the peacemakers“, Jesus said, “for they shall be called children of God.” Most of all we need to be the children the Lord calls us to be.

And that’s where, in this new year, we can find our strength, in Jesus as PRINCE OF PEACE. Jesus, as Lord, understands us and the efforts to be peacemakers, especially urging us to see further than the now. We know of future peace and can apply that ourselves mentally for His sake. Like a blessing of new years, or any day off, or a Friday on a Friday, we can apply a peace mission as an overlay each day and keep moving forward.

Finding peace as a mission is not an impossible task like pushing an elephant up the stairs or bending spoons as a magic trick, both of which are mentioned in a great song by REM, “The Great Beyond” – singing about looking for answers in the great beyond, whatever the lyricist thought that is or was. The “trick” of living is not in mastering tricks or ease of living as much as it is in living in ease with knowing God’s in charge. We might be in a milieu of a messy world now, which hasn’t been non-messy ever since the Garden of Eden, but we can pause to pursue the peace inside, our peace which a PEACEMAKER made that for us, HolySpirit-style, and that is by Jesus Himself. Jesus IS a child of God, Who is God Himself. We must hold on to Him.

The Great Beyond has nothing compared to looking at JESUS’S FACE RIGHT IN FRONT OF US – better yet is feeling His arms wrapped around us.

I’ll listen to the song of the Great Beyond – but for this year, I will cling to Jesus in the Great Inside. Jesus put His peace protectively inside. The Great Inside. 2025…

Amen

—

Hebrews KJV chapter about Jesus, 10:20-25, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

—

The fun haunting REM song The Great Beyond, for the movie Man on the Moon:https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=CzVDLAmoUkQ&si=zLjaiR_Y2Aw43LvU

Waiting and Working A Jubilee Year, and Micah 7

I did learn that this is technically a Jubilee Year! Every 25 years celebrated. A year of mercy and forgiveness. The video I saw was for the Vatican Christmas eve. The continuity of forgiveness as the pope rolled through the door.

Yes, it’s still Christmas in Spirit and I picked up my ceramics project of painting the Nativity scene, nice and shiny now. Love the love.

Calendar Christmas and Jubilee and Easter are continuity of the Messiah making His Way to us. AND it’s the way of the forgiveness that Micah the prophet saw: But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.

MICAH CONTINUES: Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light. Because I have sinned against him, I will bear the Lord’s wrath, until he pleads my case and upholds my cause. He will bring me out into the light; I will see his righteousness.

GOD IS CONSISTENT AND REALLY FORGIVENESS IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE. YES!

Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea. You will be faithful to Jacob, and show love to Abraham, as you pledged on oath to our ancestors in days long ago.

Thank You Lord for the NEW YEAR, a JUBILEE year reminder for giving forgiveness, and the CONSISTENT NEVER-ENDING YOU!

Amen

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2025!

Trust. Forgiveness. Abundance. Goodness. Peace. A Path Forward.

Those are the continual themes for the last week of readings in the Jesus Calling daily devotional – which I didn’t read until now because I didn’t take the time. Time flies, right? It’s already next year! Yeah! Thank God for extended Christmas spirits and Christmas refrigerators too, because there’s even so much christmas food that has to WAIT until we have time to eat it! So, it’s not hard to imagine that it is tough to process the end of the year at the end of the year or the beginning of the next!

NEW YEAR 2025 is already here! So, yes, THANK YOU LORD, for FAITH in TRUST, FORGIVENESS, GOODNESS, PEACE, ABUNDANCE and a PATH FORWARD. These are consistent themes for us NOW and in the future. Let us look to the Lord to fulfill our relationship with Him and others AND trust in the Lord in the times of trials, of which 2025 surely will have.

It’s impossible to not feel both relief and sadness of the Christmas stuff that isn’t so important a week later. It really shows us that like the uneaten ugh calories, we need to toss the falsehood that may have creeped into Christmas and get back to the strong sustenance, the protein of provision of the Lord’s coming, His Daily Bread.

Thank You Lord for the new year and the consistent never ending You!

Amen

Debbie Upper

A Child of God Awakening to His Love

Month: January 2025

ALIGNMENT With God (and from my hip pain), Malachi 1-4

The Day of the Lord, FINALLY, Zechariah 14

God says ‘This is My People’, Zechariah 11-13

A Savior Saving Reflection in Zechariah 9-11

DO NOT FEAR, ZECHARIAH 8

Best New Year’s Resolution is Restoration, Zechariah 7

To Love is to Know God

‘God Bless It! God Bless It!’, Zechariah 4 and More

Snatched from the Fire, Zechariah 3

GOD WITH US, Zechariah 1-2

A Remnant Left to Rediscover, from Haggai’s Prophesy

MLK Jr – LOVE YOUR ENEMIES

Prepare

RESTORE and RENEW, Rebuild FOR the Lord, as per Prophet Haggai

The Lord is With You! Zephaniah 2-3

Pray Without Ceasing

Oh My Prophet Zephaniah, STRENGTHEN OUR CORE, Focus and Faith

In the Passing of a Friend, Jesus makes the Amen to Amend

Oh the Water and the Living Water…

God is Still Unchanging and Critical Infrastructure, Praying for California

In Plains Sight, JC Bless JC, Remembering Jimmy Carter

When the World is Broken, God’s Appointed One Saves, Book of Habakkuk

God-fearing Knees, Habakkuk 123

Christmas Unexplained

Travel Smart, Listen Wisely, Follow Humbly, Epiphany, Book of Matthew, 06JAN

God’s Got This Handled, like Nahum 123

Praising God, Past Present Future, Nahum 1

The Great Inside, 2025

Waiting and Working A Jubilee Year, and Micah 7

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2025!

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